As with any running mate, Paul Ryan is thought to bring some tangible as well as intangible assets to the table for Mitt Romney‘s campaign.

The tangible ones–he’s popular with conservatives, he comes from the swing state of Wisconsin–have gotten most of the attention. But the intangible factors may be more interesting.

As the dust settles from the Ryan pick, Team Romney hopes several of those will become apparent:

The average-man touch. Connecting with working-class voters isn’t exactly a Romney strong suit, both because of his family history of wealth and his sometimes-guarded manner on the stump. Mr. Ryan, as a candidate from a middle-of-the-road district in the heartland, has a lot of experience, and a more relaxed style to bring to the task. Read More »

President Barack Obama welcomed Rep. Paul Ryan to the presidential contest Sunday, praising him personally but saying his economic vision is fundamentally wrong.

After complaining about “top down” economics of Republicans in Washington, he segued to his opponents.

“This kind of top down economics is central to Governor Romney and it is central to his running mate,” Mr. Obama said in his first comments since Republican Mitt Romney announced Saturday that Mr. Ryan was his choice for vice president. The president spoke at one of five fund-raisers in Chicago on Sunday.

Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and his vice presidential choice, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, are appearing on CBS News’s “60 Minutes” Sunday in their first interview together since Mr. Ryan joined the ticket.

5:04 pm (EDT)

Welcome

Tim Hanrahan

Welcome to our live blog. Kristina Peterson will be our main blogger of the interview. We won't be kicking off for a bit, but in the meantime, you can check our election news "stream" at http://WSJ.com/ElectionsLive with all the news and features of the day, plus relevant tweets and photos -- works particularly nicely on mobile.

WASHINGTON –Republicans tried to brush off criticism Sunday that selecting Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) as his running mate left the ticket thin on foreign policy experience, even as the pick bolstered Mitt Romney’s deficit-cutting credibility.

Mr. Ryan, 42 years old, has served in Congress since 1998 – a Washington tenure that Republicans said balanced Mr. Romney’s private-sector experience, but which Democrats charged leave the pair without deep international know-how. Read More »

WASHINGTON — Republicans and Democrats sparred Sunday over Mitt Romney’s choice of Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) as his running mate, seizing on his proposals in Congress to highlight differences between the parties over taxes, spending and entitlement programs.

Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who lost to President Barack Obama, a Democrat, in the 2008 presidential election, said Mr. Ryan understands that “the most compelling challenges this nation faces obviously are jobs and the economy.”

Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Sen. McCain said Mr. Ryan will bring “balance” to the Romney ticket because, as a lawmaker and chairman of the House Budget Committee, he understands how Congress works and has “intimate knowledge” of the budget process. Mr. Romney, in turn, has extensive experience in the private sector. Read More »

Former Sen. Alan Simpson, the Wyoming Republican who has been at the center of a two-year effort to reduce the deficit, lauded Mitt Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate and said it would force the country to have a frank and necessary conversation about growing federal debt.

Mr. Simpson, who co-chaired the White House’s 2010 deficit-reduction commission with Democrat Erskine Bowles, said in an interview that news of Mr. Ryan’s addition to the Republican ticket “pleased me to death.” The two became close as Mr. Ryan served on Mr. Simpson’s commission and they met frequently about a range of issues. The Wisconsin Republican ultimately voted against the bipartisan plan but has praised many of its details. Read More »

Mitt Romney picked Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) as his running mate, a decision that could spark enthusiasm for the Republican ticket among conservatives and all but ensures the election will turn to deep philosophical divisions between the two parties over spending, taxes and entitlements.

Here’s a look at how the announcement was met on Twitter and a quick glance at Ryan’s tweets on the big issues. Read More »

“Join me in welcoming the next president of the United States, Paul Ryan,” Mr. Romney said, as Mr. Ryan took the stage.”

The actual presidential candidate quickly realized his error. “Every now and then I’m known to make a mistake,” Mr. Romney said. “I did not make a mistake with this guy I can tell you this he’s going to be the next vice president of the United States.” Read More »

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